Machine for steaming the toes of shoes



n F. A. BAUM. MACHINE FOR STEAIVIING THE TOES 0F SHOES.

` APPLICATION FILED IUNE I7, I9I9.

1,357,023. 'Patented oct. 26,1920.

UNITED STATES Im'rslvrl oFFlc FREDERICK A.. BAUM, or sr.4 CHARLES, MISSOURI..

- MACHINE ron sTEAMING 'THE Tons or sHoEs. f

lApplication led .Tune` 17,y 1919. Serial No. 804,751.

10 all 107mm t may conce/ra: I

Be It known that l, FREDERICK A. BAUM,

a citizen of the Unitedv States, :residing at Vpulling over or lasting operations, or both, in order to prevent the cracking of the leather during said operations, land the prime object of the invention is to provide (a) means for insuring an even distribution of hot vapor over the entire toe, (b) means for controlling'the degree of heat applied to the toe so as to prevent damage to the leather and (c) means for insuring that the heat delivered to the toe will not be excessively moist.

Other objects and advantages will become o apparent upon consideration of the follow ing portions of the specification and theappended claims.`

Referring to the drawing, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the complete machine and Fig. 2 isa sectional `elevation taken along line 2-2 of F ig. 1.`

In carryingthe invention into practice, I provide a substantially rectangular metal lined box or tank 1, which may be supported above the floor upon a pedestal 21er in any other manner found desirable. A steam supply pipe 3 I isl projected horizontally throufrhthe lower portion of the box and provi ed with. a plurality of small vents 4 permitting the escape of steam into the water` which ordinarilyr is maintained at substantially the level shown in Fig. 2.f Av glass gage 5 mounted upon valve housing 6 serves to indicate any vari-ationin the water level, said housing being provided with a pipe 7 and a drain 8 controlled by cock 9 affording means for lowering the water level as occasion may demand or draining the tank when necessary, while the upper end of said gage is surmounted with a vpipe 10 f communicating with the interior of the tank above the water level and thus serving to prevent the formation of a vacuum within the glass, An overjiow pipe is indicated at 11, Y

Within the tank and extending from side `to side thereof is an inverted .1J-.shaped member 12 providinga chamber 13 for the storageof the het vapor arising from the water, said member having a plurality `of oblong ports le for the escape ofy said vapor which then passes through narrow slotsV 155-16 extending substantially from end to end of metal partition 17 The upper edge of the4 front wall of box f 1 is cut away for the reception of'a plurality of perforate concave plates 18 adapted to` accommodate the toe portion of a shoe and disposed above said plates are covered members 19 provided with lugs 20 which are en,

j Specification of Letters Patent. Patented O01?. 2.6, i .i 'y

gaged by pivots 21 so that vsaid covers maybe swungrearwardly to permit rthe free lcirculation of air about the toe when it is found that the latter is being excessively heated.

The toe portion ofV the shoe is positioned at any desired height relative to the bottom of plates 19 byk adjustment of wooden or fiberk slides 22 which are retained vagainst the bottom wall of box 1 .by wing-nuts 23 projecting through slots 24 and the heel` v portion Vof the shoe is disposed within sub-` stantially: V-shaped members 25 extending laterally from plate 26 supported bybracket 27 and slotted longitudinallyso that itmay be adjusted horizontally upon release of wing-nut 28. The lower portion kof bracket 27 is also provided with a slot 29, whereby it may be adjusted vertically upon release of nut() sothatthe operator may raise or lower theheel portion of the lshoetocorre-`r spondfwith'the adjustment of slides y23. j j j In operation, a shoeready to be lasted is positioned/with itsy toe "extending within platelSl and resting upon ,the upper edge of slide 22, VSteam isl continuously injected throughvents llof pipe 3 .and the ywater thus brought to ahigh ltemperature'throws oli' vapor which .accumulates within chamber land passes thence k through ports 14 of member 12 tothe space beneath partition 17, the latter becoming sufficiently hot to convert a percentage of the moisture into steam so that the vapor/escaping through slots 15-16 and reaching vthev toe of the shoe through the perforations of plates 18 is fairly dry ascompared with the vapor supplied by similar machines of the prior art. Havingvbeen subjected to this treatment for several minutes,ithe toe will be Suf I thus insure an even distribution of the hot vapor over the entire surface of the toe and maintain said vapor at an even tem perature by greatly restricting the passage l of air to the interior of the box.

Having thus fully described the 1nvention, what i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is l. A machine of the character described, comprising a box having apertures in one of its walls each thereof adapted to admit the toe of a shoe, means for supporting the toe and heel Vportions of the shoe, a steam supply pipe projecting within said box adjacent to the bottom thereof, and perforate plates disposed opposite said apertures, said rplates being curved, substantially as shown,

so as to substantially inclose said toe.

2. A machine of the character described, comprising a box having apertures in one of its Walls each thereof adapted to admit the toe of a shoe, a steam supply pipe proj Vecting within said box adjacent to the bottom thereof, devices for supporting the heel portion of the shoe, means for raising` or lowering said devices, and means for adjusting said devices simultaneously relative to each of said apertures to accommodate shoes of dierent lengths.

3. A machine of the character described, comprising a box having apertures in one of its walls each thereof adapted to admit the toe of a shoe, a steam supply pipe projecting within. said box adjacent to the bottom thereof, adjustable means for supporting the toe atvarious heights relative to the'base of said apertures, devices for' supporting the heel portion of the shoe, means for raising oi' lowering said devices, and means for adjusting saiddevices to accommodate shoes of different lengths.

4. A machine of the character described` comprising a box vhaving apertures in one of its walls each thereof adapted to admit the toe of a shoe, a steam supply pipe projecting within said box adjacent to the bot-- tomA thereof, perforate plates disposed opposite said apertures, said plates being curved, substantially as shown, so as to subtantially iiiclose said toe, and a slotted partition disposed beneath said plates.

5. A machine of the character described, comprising a box having apertures in one i of its walls each thereof adapted to admit the toe of a shoe, a steam supply pipe projecting within said box adjacent to the bottoml thereof, perforate plates disposed opposite said apertures, said plates being curved, substantially as shown, so as to substantially inclose said toe, and an inverted substantially U-sliaped member disposed above said pipe provided with a plurality of ports.

6. A machine of the character described, comprising a box having apertures in one of its walls each thereof adapted to admit the toe of a shoe,a steam supply pipe projecting within said box adjacent to the bottom thereof, a slotted partition disposed between said pipe and said apertures, and an inverted substantially U-shaped member disposed beneath said partition having a plurality of ports.

f 7. A machine of the character described,

comprising a box having apertures in one of its walls each thereof adapted to admit the toe of a shoe, a steam supply pipe projecting within said box adjacent to the bottom thereof, perforatc plates disposed opposite said apertures, said plates being curved, substantially as shown, so as to sub st'antially inclose said toe, a slotted par- Vtition disposed beneath said plates, and an inverted substantially U-shaped member disposed beneath said partition having a plurality of ports. l

8. A machine of the character described, comprising a box having apertures in'onc f its walls each thereof adapted to admit the toe of a shoe, means for supporting the toe and heel. portions of the shoe, a steam supply pipe projecting within said box adjacent to the bottom thereof, perforate plates disposed opposite said apertures, said plates being curved, vsubstantially as shown, so as to substantially inclose said toe, and. members liingedly mounted above of airto the box.

FREDERICK A. BAUM.

said plates adapted toA control the admission fitnesses BEN F. BnUNs,

Jnssn H. Knxns.l 

